ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

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The seminary of Halki, formally the Theological School of Halki (and ), was founded on 1 October 1844 on the island of Chalki (Greek; ), the second largest of the Islands of the Princes in the Marmara Sea. It was the main theology school of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople of the Orthodox Church until the Turkish parliament issued a law prohibiting private higher education institutions in 1971. Theological school is located at the top of the Hill of Hope of the island, on the site of the Byzantine monastery of the Holy Trinity. The school premises continue to be managed by the monastery and are used to host conferences. You can visit the island, which is about an hour by boat from the coast of Istanbul. An international campaign is underway to reopen this theological school, as reported by American Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland at the United States Congress.

History
The seminar is located on the site of the Monastery of the Holy Trinity, founded by Patriarch Fozio I almost a thousand years before the foundation of the theological school. During the Ottoman rule, the monastery fell into ruin. In 1844, Patriarch German IV converted the monastery into a school of theology, which was inaugurated on 1 October 1844. All buildings, except for the 17th century chapel, were destroyed by the Istanbul earthquake of 1894, but were rebuilt by the architect Periklis Fotiadis and inaugurated on 6 October 1896. These buildings were also renovated in the 1950s.

When it was founded in 1844, the school had seven degrees, four of high school and three of university level. In 1899, the division of the high school was dissolved and the institute served as an academy with five degrees. In 1923, with the establishment of the Turkish Republic, the seven-degree system was restored (4 high schools + 3 upper level). In 1951 it was changed to 3 high schools + 4 of the upper level.

The facilities include the Chapel of the Holy Trinity, sports and recreational institutions, dorms, a nursery, a hospice, offices and the library of the school with its historical collection of books, magazines and manuscripts. The library contains more books.

There were 990 graduates of the theological school and many became priests, bishops, archbishops, scholars and patriarchs. Many former students are buried in school grounds. Orthodox Christians from all over the world attended and graduated from theological school and former students are distributed worldwide.

Forced closure
In 1971, some parts of the Law on private university were judged unconstitutional by the Turkish Constitutional Court, which established that all private universities had to be affiliated to a state university; then all private institutions of higher education joined state or closed universities.